Classic Ferrari Sells for £24.7 Million

A stunning 1957 Ferrari 335 Sport Scaglietti recently achieved the world record price for a car at auction, selling for just under a staggering £25 million at the Artcurial Motorcars Retromobile 2016 sale. It was bought by an international collector after a tense bidding battle.

Illustrious History

The car left the workshops at the start of 1957, fitted at that time with a 3.8-litre V12 Tipo 140 engine (315 S) producing around 360 bhp. In March of that year it was entered by Scuderia Ferrari for the Sebring 12 Hours, driven by Peter Collins and Maurice Trintignant, and finished sixth. However, the Italians were really waiting for the Mille Miglia in May, when the best teams and the most experienced drivers would go head to head over 1 600 km of roads, without any break. Ferrari lined up four cars including chassis 0674 that was given to Wolfgang von Trips, who finished second behind the Piero Taruffi’s Ferrari. On being returned to the factory, its engine size was increased to 4.1-litres, therefore becoming a 335S. With close to 400 bhp under its belt, the car could reach 300 km/h.

For the 24 Heures du Mans, the car was given to Mike Hawthorn (who would become Formula 1 champion in 1958) and Luigi Musso. Hawthorn took the lead in front of the Maserati and Jaguars and set the first lap record in the history of the Le Mans 24 Hours of over 200 km/h (203.015 km/h average speed) but unfortunately the car retired in the fifth hour with mechanical problems.

This stunning Ferrari then finished fourth in the Swedish Grand Prix, and second in the Venezuela Grand Prix on 3 November (still with team of Hawthorn-Musso), helping Ferrari to win the World Constructors’ Title in 1957.

In January 1958 it was sold to Luigi Chinetti, the Ferrari importer based in New York.

On 24 February of that year, with Masten Gregory and Stirling Moss at the wheel, the car won the Cuba Grand Prix. During the 1958 season, it participated successfully in various American races driven by Gaston Andrey and Lance Reventlow (creator of the famous Scarab), before being sold to Robert N. Dusek in 1960, an architect living in Pennsylvania.

Following this American adventure, the car was brought to France in 1970. The American architect sold it to Pierre Bardinon, the astute collector who over the years assembled some fifty factory Ferrari comprising the most successful and iconic models in the history of the marque. Based near Aubusson, his collection is considered to be one of the most important, in terms of Ferrari. Kept as part Pierre Bardinon’s private collection for over 40 years, the car has been used and maintained regularly and is presented in excellent condition.